What Men Like Me Do
by Octeeva Pevensie
Summary: Killian Jones and his hostage Princess Aurora have a little chat aboard The Jolly Roger.


This little diddy was written some time ago, posted, and then taken down all on another account. I found it during some cleaning of my PC and thought I should repost it. Hopefully it's still as warmly received as it originally was. This was far before Captain Swan sunk the Captain Princess ship, but alas it lives on in our hearts.

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"How...how...well, how?" the girl was fumbling over her words but the question lingered in the air unsaid. In truth, her sudden bout of words, as repetitive as they may have been, had caught Killian off guard. The girl - the Princess as she claimed, had been held hostage aboard the Jolly Roger for nearly a week now and had yet to speak a word to anyone beyond hysterical pleas of being set free. He had spent much time with her since then, confining her to the relative safety of his cabin while he ran the ship. He knew he couldn't trust his men around such a pretty young thing. Still during her entire reluctant stay she hadn't spoken a word to him and had barely eaten any of her portions, minuscule as they may have been.

"Well, decided to join us back in the realm of the living, have we?" Killian sat down his book as he stared over at the girl who sat primly on her cot next to the window. Even now she sat like royalty, straight and proper and rigid, almost like a statue. Maybe she was a Princess, and if she was, then oh the bounty they'd haul in for her safe return. Still...Killian couldn't help but believe Cora's capture of this young woman and delivery unto him was part of a much bigger plan, but that thought was for another time.

"I have been here the whole time," the mousy haired girl responded. Her steel blue eyes drifting timidly to the hook attached to his hand.

"Here and curious this entire time?" Killian asked as he raised up his hook and it glistened in the light that shone in from the cabin window.

"Yes, if you want to say that," the Princess nodded before holding her head high in the air and announcing, "Since it seems you and your..._men_ aren't going to let me go out of the mercy in your souls - "

"We have no mercy, Princess," Killian interrupted and their eyes locked. Two distinctly different shades of blue clashed before the Princess hurriedly looked away and continued as if he had said nothing at all.

"Then I have decided I should at least get to know captures. If only for the sake of future revenge."

"Revenge?" Killian repeated this, highly amused. "Revenge is such an ugly business, not something a Princess would get involved in, is it?" The girl smiled a demure, practiced smile, but said nothing. Looking down at where his right hand once was, "So, you'd like to know the story behind this beauty?" he regarded her for a moment, "Strictly for revenge purposes, of course."

"Strictly."

Killian sneered at her as he rose to his feet and approached her seat on the makeshift cot. Instantly he saw her tense and had to stifle the laugh of amusement that threatened to escape his lips. With one calloused hand he placed it very lightly on her small shoulder, barely touching the fabric of her purple gown. She daren't move away despite the fact he was nearly positive he could see her heart beating out of her chest. It seemed her bravado and talk of revenge had disappeared. With his mangled hooked hand he traced the curve of her neck, ghosting over the carotid artery beneath her porcelain white skin.

"I was a young," he spoke quietly. "Many years ago, and far away from the wonder of Neverland," he stilled his hook on her neck and leaned down slightly until he was next to her ear, "Please do stop me if you have any questions, Princess." He felt her shiver and saw her nod. Smiling ruefully down at the back of her head he straightened up and continued. "And I came across the most curious creature. Would you like to know what this creature was?" Again the Princess nodded, fear practically oozing off of her aura and he felt amazing, powerful, and in control. Exactly how he liked feeling. "A crocodile. An old, leathery wretched crocodile who had something I wanted very much so."

"What did he have?" the brown haired Princess whispered, her voice sounding smaller than a mouse.

"Something very precious," Killian answered elusively. "And so, do you know what I did?" This time the Princess shook her head causing her brown locks to jostle and shake on top of her queenly head, a head that was perfectly shaped for a crown...or a pike, Killian couldn't decide.

The heady scent of lilies invaded Killian's senses but he didn't stop to linger on it. "I do what men like me do, I took what I wanted and left. And the old crocodile was left lonely and bitter without what he loved."

"Sometime passes," Killian says wistfully, "And I met the old croc again. He had changed much. Not so old, not so feeble, not so cowardly anymore was this reptilian. Quiet like myself, in fact. And with every inch of bitterness in his heart do you know what he did?" Killian was now pressing the tip of his hook into the hallow of the Princess's slender neck. With each passing second he dipped the hook in further, threatening to break the skin and watch a stream of crimson blood spill. The mousy haired Princess didn't shake, nod, or even speak this time. Her chest was heaving in fear as she tried her best to still herself. Closing her eyes she seemed to be willing him away. Oh no she wasn't, Killian thought mercilessly. "I said," Killian forcefully dug the sharp tip of his hook into the girl's neck with just enough pressure to cause her to yelp in a mixture of fear and pain but not enough for blood to flow, "do you know what he did?"

"No," the girl breathed breathlessly, terrified and stock still. Killian felt electric.

"Guess," the Captain demanded of her through clinched teeth as his hand found his way to her finely combed hair and grabbed a fistful of locks forcing her head backwards to expose more of her fine, swan like neck.

"He...he...did what men like you do, and took what he wanted," she stammered, and with that Killian let go of her and came to stand in front of her. She was deathly white and her eyes still wide with fear. A distinct shimmer in her blue eyes told him she had unshed tears just waiting to spring forth the moment he left. Without a thought he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and placed it in her incredibly small, trembling hands. "That he did, Princess," he continued. "And along with that he took my right hand in his ragged, filthy jaw and tore it clean off... would you like to see?" He began to unscrew the hook that was tightly bolted down only to hear a whimper of protest from his little delicate flower of a hostage.

Feeling he had done enough terrorizing today of the girl he nodded with a rueful grin.

Women like this made him sick. Pathetic, simpering idiots. But what did he expect from a Princess, he thought to himself. A pretty face for a King's warm bed and a exalted throne, nothing more.

Just as he was about to leave the cabin and tend to the evening shift he heard the girl mumbled something. Glancing back towards her he saw she was no longer slouched down in fear nor was she shaking in terror like she had only moments before. Instead her head was held high and her beautiful blue eyes carried an unspoken resolved.

"Well then, _Captain_" she spoke with a confident voice, her tone almost mocking, knowing. "This metaphorical crocodile sounds highly impressive, and just goes to show."

Narrowing his own blue eyes, "Just goes to show what, Princess?"

"That in the end men like you, always, **always** get what they deserve." The Princess said nothing for a moment, letting her words sink in. Letting realization dawn on Killian that he wasn't dealing with the average Princess and that he had played perfectly into her hands.

"I'd skin you alive, you royal brat," Killian threatened smoothly, pointing his hook at the girl. If there was one thing he hated then her certainly hated having someone get the better of him. Especially a pampered royal tart like this.

"Then you'd get no coin."

"I want no coin."

"Then why do you have me?"

Killian opened his mouth to speak but quickly remember that he himself wasn't so sure why it was she was aboard his ship. With one last glare at the now haughty girl Killian stormed out of his cabin.

Whatever reason Cora had for leaving him with this infuriating girl it had better be a good one.


End file.
